Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025

Social Work, Bachelor of Social Work (594P, 594)

Department website: http://www.wku.edu/socialwork


Program Coordinator

Whitney Cassity Caywood, whitney.cassitycaywood@wku.edu

The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). During the four semesters required for completion of the social work major, students acquire knowledge, skills, and values that demonstrate competency in generalist social work practice. The major includes a 400-hour Fi­eld practicum or internship at a social service agency where students apply classroom learning under the supervision of a professional social worker. As a bachelor level social worker, graduates may work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and/or the entire community with a primary focus on coordinating services in a variety of settings with multiple populations. For this reason, graduates must be flexible enough to work with people of various ages, backgrounds and cultures. With a BSW students are eligible to apply to any CSWE-Accredited Advanced Standing (accelerated) Master of Social Work program in the U.S. (Application requirements vary by program.)

The Social Work major consists of 54 semester hours, 42 core hours in social work and 12 hours in supportive courses. It is not necessary to have a minor for graduation.

Consistent with the program’s emphasis on a liberal arts foundation, during the freshman and sophomore years, students will take courses in English, political science, economics, math, biology, sociology, psychology, and also public speaking and history. These courses will also fulfill several of the Colonnade requirements. A list of the required liberal arts and sciences courses that must be taken as prerequisites for applying to the social work major is available on the departmental webpage or can be obtained from the department.

A student receiving a “D” or lower in any course used for the social work major will be required to repeat the course. If it is a core social work course, then the course must be repeated before proceeding to the next course in the sequence.

Admission Requirements

The academic advisor reviews the student’s academic status. If necessary, students are advised to fulfill prerequisites for admission to the program. Upon completion of prerequisite courses, including SWRK 101 (with a minimum grade of "C"), students must complete an application process for formal admission to the social work program. The BSW Admissions and Retention Committee reviews each application. Students must have attained a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 and sophomore status at the time of application in order to be admitted. Guidelines for admission and retention are stated in the BSW Student Handbook, which is available in the departmental office or on www.wku.edu/socialwork. The following 15 hours are required for admission:

SWRK 101Foundations of Human Services3
ENG 100Introduction to College Writing3
PSY/PSYS 100Introduction to Psychology3
or PSY/PSYS 220 Introduction to Lifespan Developmental Psychology
SOCL 100Introductory Sociology3
or AGRI 108 Rural Sociology
DEI Course 13
Total Hours15

Additional Required Courses for Social Work Major

It is recommended to take these courses prior to admission.
PS 110American National Government3
ECON 150Introduction to Economics3
or ECON 202 Principles of Economics (Micro)
or ECON 203 Principles of Economics (Macro)
Select one of the following statistics courses:
SWRK 344Social Work Statistics and Data Analysis3
or MATH 183 Introductory Statistics
or SOCL 300 Social Statistics
or PSY 313 Statistics in Psychology
or PSYS 313 Statistics in Psychology
or PH 383 Biostatistics in the Health Sciences
Total Hours9

Program Requirements (54 hours)

A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.

Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.

Required Courses
SWRK 101Foundations of Human Services3
SWRK 301Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Human Services3
SWRK 330Human Behavior in the Social Environment3
SWRK 345Social Work Research Methods3
SWRK 357Case Management3
SWRK 375Social Work Practice I3
SWRK 378Social Work Practice II3
SWRK 379Introduction to Social Work Communication Skills3
SWRK 381Social Work Practice III3
SWRK 395Social Welfare Policy and Issues3
SWRK 480Social Work Field Practicum I3
SWRK 481Social Work Field Seminar I3
SWRK 482Social Work Field Practicum II3
SWRK 483Social Work Field Seminar II3
Electives 212
Select two SWRK electives from:
SWRK 2XX
SWRK 3XX
SWRK 4XX
Select six hours in consultation with advisor and must be unduplicated. 3
Total Hours54
1

Approved DEI courses are AFAM 190, AFAM/HIST 329, AFAM/HIST 343, AFAM/FLK/ANTH 350, AFAM/FLK 377, ANTH 120, ANTH/FLK 342, ANTH 343, ANTH 360, ASL 302, COMM 365, CRIM 361, CRIM 446, CSJ 200, EDU/SUS 276, ENG/MUS 324, FLK 276, FLK 280, FLK 330, GERO 100, GWS 200, HIST/PS/GEOG/SPAN 200, HIST 302, HIST 309, HIST 310, HIST 325, HIST 332, HIST 353, HIST 354, HIST 358, HIST 359, HIST 364, HIST 365, HIST 380, HIST 390, HIST 420, HIST 430, HIST 462, HON 251, PH 412, PHIL/RELS 202, PHIL 212, PS 373, PS 377, PSYS 353, RELS 331, SOCL 240, SOCL 260, SOCL 362, SOCL 375, SPS 400, SWRK 300

2

Approved by the advisor. Six hours of the electives must be in social work. Must be unduplicated.

3

Advisor consent electives are AFAM 190, ACCT 420CD 489, COMM 345, COMM 349, COMM 362, CNS 110, CNS 432, CRIM 101, CSJ 200, EDU 276, ENG 301, ENG 306, ENG 307, FACS 3**, 4**, FIN 161, FLK 280, FLK 3**, FLK 4**, GERO 100, GEOG 350, GEOG 352, GEOG 480, HCA 340, HIST 320, HIST 321, HIST 364, HMD 211, LEAD 200, LEAD 3**, LEAD 4**,  MGT 210, MGT 311,MGT 333, PH 165, PH 3**, PH 4**, PHIL 315, PHIL 320,PHIL 322, PHIL 330, PHIL 350, PHIL 401, PHIL 426, PSY 3**, PSY 4**, REC 220, REC 302, RELS 305, RELS 320, SOCL 309, SOCL 3**, SOCL 4**, SWRK 300, SWRK 305, SWRK 324SWRK 326, SWRK 356, SWRK 433, SWRK 436, SWRK 437, SWRK 438SWRK 450, SWRK 451, GWS 200, and GWS 400

Finish in Four Plan

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
SWRK 1013ENG 1003
HIST 101 or HIST 1023PS 1103
COMM 1453Colonnade - Natural & Physical Sciences or World Language (if needed)3-4
SOCL 100 or AGRI 1083Colonnade - Arts & Humanities3
PSY 100, PSYS 100, PSY 220, or PSYS 2203Minor/Elective3
 15 15-16
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ECON 150, ECON 202, or ECON 2033Colonnade - Natural & Physical Sciences (not Biology)3
SWRK 344, MATH 183, SOCL 300, PSY 313, PSYS 313, or PH 3833Connections - Social & Cultural (Major Advisor Consent Elective #1)*3
ENG 2003DEI course3
Major Social Work Elective #13Minor/Elective3
Minor/Elective3Minor/Elective3
 15 15
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHours
SWRK 3013SWRK 3573
SWRK 330 (recommended for Connections - Systems)3SWRK 3783
SWRK 3753SWRK 3793
Connections - Local to Global (Major Advisor Consent Elective #2)*3ENG 3003
Minor/Elective3Minor/Elective3
 15 15
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours
SWRK 3453SWRK 3953
SWRK 3813SWRK 4823
SWRK 4803SWRK 4833
SWRK 4813Major Social Work Elective #23
Elective3Elective3
 15 15
Total Hours 120-121
*

Confirm with advisor.